


Let Love In

by thejammys



Series: artfp verse [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, First Time, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-03-29 13:13:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19020652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thejammys/pseuds/thejammys
Summary: Sequel to 'Always Read the Fine Print'.





	Let Love In

For all his confidence that thirty days was nothing, it turned out to be something.

 

It was extremely difficult to go without talking to the person one was in love with!

 

But Tony endured.

 

Loki needed the space, and if Tony ruined this time of actualization and growth by being too clingy or needy he would never forgive himself.

 

And there was the matter of Afghanistan.

 

He hadn’t mentioned to Loki that he was going, as everything with London and the move happened so fast. Tony never thought to bring it up.

 

So there was no reason for Loki to worry about Tony during those thirty days. No reason to suspect that Tony had almost lost his life there, or that when he came home he would have healing of his own to attend to. 

 

On July first, at 12:00 a.m. London-time, Tony sent the following text:

 

**_What do you call it when you sort of have an English accent but not full-on?_ **

 

The response came within ten seconds.

 

**_What?_ **

 

**_Low-key._ **

 

**_Oh my god._ **

 

And that started it up again.

 

Tony called him after the ‘oh my god’ and the first words out of his mouth were, “Did you miss me?”

 

Loki heard the grin in his voice.

 

Initially Loki denied missing him, and then later admitted to nearly breaking their thirty day agreement almost every day since he’d left.

 

They agreed that Tony would visit the following weekend.

 

There was a moment, when Tony was getting off the plane, that he paused to consider the alternative to what he had largely assumed their reunion would consist of: kissing and declarations of love.

 

_ What if he doesn’t love me anymore? What if things are different now? What if he wants to stay in London forever? What if I get uncontrollable gas? _

 

He realized the fears, sans the gas, were unfounded the second he saw Loki.

 

It felt simultaneously as though no time had passed, and yet everything had changed.

 

On the phone they discussed the good the thirty days had brought Loki. How he had continued to see a therapist weekly, which only amounted to four sessions in that month, how he had journaled everyday and listened to endless TED talks on love and healthy relationships. How he had read five self-help books about learning to love yourself after trauma and reclaiming your power. 

 

Thirty days really wasn’t a lot of time to come back from what Loki had endured, but the goal wasn’t total recovery - it was just to give Loki the space to focus solely on himself without allowing his love for Tony to distract him.

 

Although that had proved to be an impossible task. 

 

Loki had been completely unable to get that boy out of his head. 

 

Since Loki moved at the beginning of summer, his school semester had not yet begun and he was able to really throw himself and his time into doing things he wanted. He made sure to spend a large portion of the day working on self-help and navigating feelings and recovery.

 

When he found himself overwhelmed from hours spent sifting through trauma, he would grab a novel or his iPod and go wander around London. Within his first week he found a local coffee shop he loved, a park, and a bookstore.

 

These became his haunts.

 

But inevitably at these places, his mind would skip off from his book or his music and he would fantasize about being there with Tony. Sharing a latte or people-watching. Loki would see something irritating and want to tell Tony about it, and reach for his phone only to remember that he wasn’t supposed to.

 

In spite of himself, he counted down the days until July first.

 

He was in the middle of trying to compose a text to Tony when he received one instead.

 

When Tony showed up at his apartment, and they saw each other for the first time, there was a long beat where they just grinned at each other - and then they flew into each other’s arms.

 

They didn’t make it over the threshold before the kissing began.

 

Loki had imagined they would have a long conversation about boundaries and expectations and that a ‘fresh start’ meant they would be treating everything physical as if it were a first time.

 

But he only remembered that after twenty minutes with Tony’s tongue in his mouth and a warm hand under his shirt.

 

Their first night passed without much talking. They couldn’t keep their hands off of each other. They choked out each other’s names as they spent into each other’s mouths and it wasn’t until after, when they were tightly spooned together, that they actually started discussing the ‘serious stuff’.

 

“Can I take you on a date?” Tony had asked.

 

Loki was absentmindedly lacing their fingers together and counting the freckles on Tony’s arm.

 

“You had better.”

 

Tony spent a week in London, since he was also on summer vacation and didn’t have to worry about anything work-related after he’d been granted some time away post-Afghanistan.

 

He waited until his final night of the trip to tell Loki about it, as he didn’t want to compromise their time together with something that would just make Loki worry.

 

He told Loki how his car had been targeted by a terrorist organization and how he’d only narrowly managed to escape. How others weren’t so lucky. 

 

Loki had clung to him and shook with sobs and promised that they weren’t going to waste any more time by being anything less than  _ together _ .

 

There was even a brief moment where Loki suggested coming home early so they wouldn’t have to spend the rest of the year apart - something that seemed unthinkable given that Tony had almost  _ died _ \- but Tony quickly shut the idea down.

 

This was going to be an important year for Loki. There was still healing magic that London could provide.

 

And Tony could always visit.

 

When Tony got back on the plane to fly home it was with a concrete date set on the calendar for seeing Loki again.

 

Three weeks.

 

Tony offered to fly out every weekend, but ultimately reasoned that Loki deserved some time to explore his new city on his own.

 

The time away did wonders for him.

 

While he had already forgiven his mother for her role in his adoption discovery, and his resentments toward his father were born over decades of slights, it was Loki’s relationship with Thor that stood to gain the most from their separation.

 

It had slammed Loki into perspective.

 

He  _ hated _ being away from his brother.

 

Although things had been somewhat mended after Jane broke up with Thor and Loki was there for him, he had not properly forgiven his brother for not telling him the truth - and then for later divulging to their mother the depths of the horrors he had endured with Fandral.

 

After two weeks in London he had texted his brother and requested a Skype date.

 

Thor was ecstatic.

 

Loki didn’t bring up the subject of his adoption or of Thor’s secret spilling, nor did he inquire about Tony even though he knew the two of them were spending time together.

 

Instead, they spent their time talking about everything else: school, football, London, their mother, Jane, Clint and Natasha - and how much they missed each other.

 

While there were countless nights where Loki went to sleep wishing that he had Tony beside him, there were just as many lonely afternoons where Loki would have given his left arm to be able to walk to his brother’s room and sit next to him with a book while Thor played a video game.

 

The time apart served as a harsh wake up call to Loki that at the end of the day, he loved his brother dearly and needed him in his life.

 

They agreed to Skype once a week, on Mondays in place of their usual lunch date.

 

Sometimes they did just pass the time quietly, while Thor shot zombies in the head and Loki silently flipped pages.

 

Once Tony and Loki were officially an item, Thor went out of his way to aid in their relationship.

 

He frequently took pictures of Tony while they were hanging out and sent them to his brother. He made mental notes of stories or jokes Tony shared and filed them away for his Skype dates. In October, he even aided in planning the details of a surprise visit from Tony.

 

Even though his heart was still broken over Jane, it thrilled him to see his little brother so happy. And he treasured what a lovely friend Tony had become.

 

The thing they had most in common was how much they missed Loki.

 

The winter break was a blessing. 

 

Natasha wouldn’t be able to come home during her school’s break, as they were on a completely different calendar, so Loki suggested that his loved ones come to him and experience London for Christmas - since they were all familiar with the alternative.

 

Frigga took off a week from work, and Tony flew her and Thor out to see their boy.

 

Odin stayed home to work, and no one felt remiss.

 

The second semester was harder, as Tony and Loki were largely over the long-distance nature of their relationship. They spent the first semester seeing each other at least once a month, texting everyday, and Skyping three times a week, but once February rolled around it got harder to accommodate.

 

Tony had new demands from Stark Industries, Loki had joined his school’s choir, and they each had mountains of school work.

 

But they persisted.

 

Loki had secretly taken a part-time job at the campus bookstore with exactly one financial goal in mind, and Frigga had helped him get there.

 

On Tony’s birthday, he made plans with Thor and Pepper to go to Los Angeles and live it up for the weekend.

 

When Thor showed up at his dorm with his little brother in tow, Tony had burst into tears.

 

Tony would have paid for the flight if he had known, but it was important to Loki that he work for it - and the surprise was lovely.

 

Frigga was thrilled for any excuse to see her son and was happy to spot him the remaining few hundred he needed for the ticket.

 

The four adults spent the weekend in sunshine and traffic, filled with delicious food and bright smiles. Tony turned twenty-one in the arms of his lover, and even though he tapped out before they could make good on Loki’s proposed present (twenty one orgasms), it was the best birthday he ever had.

 

After that, the time until Loki’s birthday dragged on so much so that it felt longer than all of the year behind it. It was as though time knew exactly how much the lovers longed to see each other.

 

Tony took Loki to Paris, like he had suggested the year before. They filled up on champagne and croissants, and only left their hotel room when they realized Frigga would likely want stories about the marvel of France and would not be amused to discover they had sex for the entirety of their visit.

 

Sex as a mother would see it anyway, for Tony and Loki had still not had intercourse.

 

They discussed it briefly, when they first got together, and Loki said he was still absolutely not ready for such a step. Tony understood and had expected as much. He was even prepared for Loki to take everything physical off the table, even though that’s not what happened.

 

What they were doing was still sex. Kissing was sex. Oral and digital stimulation was sex. Running your tongue over the entirety of your lover’s body was sex.

 

But they held out on this last act.

 

By some unspoken agreement, they were waiting until Loki came home.

 

When his semester ended, Loki had one week left in his dorm so that he could finish up his affairs and enjoy London a bit more before returning home.

 

Tony flew him and Thor out, while Frigga was unable to take the time off of work, and they spent the week visiting all of Loki’s favorite places one last time. They helped Loki pack up his room, part with the things he couldn’t bring home, and said goodbye to a beautiful city.

 

And then, Loki was home.

 

oooooo

 

“I’m just saying I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

 

“And  _ I’m  _ just saying that it is!”

 

This was the bulk of how the last hour had gone.

 

Loki wasn’t the only one coming home from a year away.

 

Jane, Thor had learned from Facebook, was scheduled to arrive home some time today. Loki thought it would be best if his brother left any rekindling of communication to her since she was likely to experience transitional anxiety from the move, and she had been the one to end things.

 

Thor believed that she was likely too concerned over his feelings to reach out first and that it was up to him.

 

They had spoken over the last year, wishing each other well on holidays and birthdays and each had sent a poorly thought out drunk text along the lines of ‘you up?’ - but that was the extent of it.

 

Loki knew how much his brother missed his ex, but he didn’t want Thor to overwhelm Jane immediately upon her return and risk spoiling the potential for their reunion with his haste.

 

“Why don’t you give it a day?”

 

“Why don’t I show up at the airport with flowers?”

 

Loki sighed. “Thor-“

 

“You like it when Tony brings you flowers!” Thor interrupted.

 

That was technically true. Jane would also probably appreciate the  _ flowers _ , it’s her ex showing up unannounced after a year apart that might give her pause.

 

“You don’t have to take my advice, Thor, but you know what it is,” Loki said calmly, wishing to move on from this subject as he continued to unpack his suitcase.

 

“Ugh.”

 

He heard his brother stomp out of the room and down the hall to his own.

 

Loki’s phone chirped with a text alert from his favorite lady.

 

Jane wasn’t the only one coming home today.

 

Thor had reasoned that if Loki was already going to the airport to pick up Natasha that it was a sign from the universe and Thor should obviously come along to see Jane.

 

Loki pointed out that they didn’t know what time Jane’s flight landed, nor her airline or any other helpful information, and that if Thor wanted to be the one to propose to Natasha that they sit around the airport for an open-ended block of time right after she stepped off a flight from  _ Russia _ then he could be Loki’s guest.

 

His brother had merely pouted.

 

In their year apart, Loki and Natasha spoke nearly as frequently as Loki did with his boyfriend. 

 

They also had a weekly Skype date, but they hadn’t managed to work out a time for a visit - and it would have been expensive. Tony offered to foot the bill, as he knew how much Loki missed his best friend, but Tony already spent so much flying himself and Thor  _ and  _ his mother out that it felt wrong.

 

Loki was long overdue for a hug from his lady.

 

Skype already told him that Natasha had grown her hair out, and it now reached the top of her shoulders.

 

She had spent a large amount of her time invested in athletics, and had bulked up to a degree where Loki was certain she could kill him with her thighs if she so chose.

 

They had plans to bring her home, let her shower, and then they were going to spend the rest of the night painting each other’s nails, watching silly movies, and eating as much pizza as Natasha could get her hands on.

 

**_I’m on my last layover_ ** . The text from Natasha read.

 

**_How’s the Dallas airport? :P_ ** . Loki replied.

 

**_2 more hours. I’m dying. I land at 4 now, the flight is delayed. Can you bring vodka when you pick me up?_ **

 

Loki laughed out loud at that. Having turned twenty-one a few weeks ago, yes he could technically bring her that, but it was probably better to get something in her stomach first.

 

**_I’ll have it waiting for tonight. Pizza and shoulder rubs first._ **

 

Her response was immediate.

 

**_Deal_ ** .

 

Loki set his phone down and resumed unpacking.

 

“What if I just text her, ‘hope you made it home okay!’?” Thor asked as he barreled back into Loki’s room.

 

“I suppose that’s better than showing up at the airport.”

 

“Or, and hear me out-“ Thor started as he sat down on Loki’s bed. “I could offer to pick her up.”

 

Loki shook his head.

 

“Why not?”

 

“Thor, when was the last time you spoke to this woman?” Loki already knew the answer, as this was not the first time today he had asked this question, but he wanted his brother to remember and calm down.

 

Thor sighed and dropped his head. “I know.”

 

Loki went back to unpacking and let Thor pout there before both brothers were startled by Thor’s phone chiming.

 

“LOKI!!!” he screeched.

 

“WHAT” Loki screeched back.

 

“She texted me!” Thor screamed, jumping up and grabbing his head in shock.

 

Loki’s eyes transformed into dinner plates. “What did she say?”

 

“She texted me!” Thor yelled again.

 

“Yes, we’ve covered that, now what did she say?”

 

“Loki!”

 

“Oh my god,” Loki grumbled as he stood up and yanked Thor’s phone out of his hand.

 

**_Hey! I just got back into town. Wanna grab coffee?_ **

 

Loki looked up at his brother who was still holding onto his head for dear life.

 

“Are you going to answer her?” he prodded.

 

Thor turned his wide, crazed eyes to his brother. “What do I say?”

 

“Something along the lines of ‘yes’ would likely be good.”

 

Thor continued to stare.

 

“Shall I type it?” Loki asked, still holding onto his brother’s phone.

 

Thor just nodded with his crazy eyes.

 

“Sounds great,” Loki read as he typed. “What did you have in mind - is that alright?” he asked, looking to Thor.

 

Thor nodded again and dropped his hands from his head.

 

Loki hit send and waited.

 

Not a minute later the text alert when off again, and Thor gasped loudly and his hands flew back up to grab his head.

 

“WHAT DID SHE SAY?!”

 

“Boys, are you alright?” Frigga called from downstairs.

 

“We’re fine, mom! Jane texted Thor!” Loki yelled back. “She said, ‘Are you free tonight?’” Loki read, looking to Thor for an answer.

 

When none was forthcoming, Loki pressed. 

 

“Thor...are you free tonight?”

 

“YES!” Thor screamed back.

 

It blew Loki’s hair back a bit and he blinked owlishly. “Good god, man,” he grumbled as he typed the affirmative and sent it off.

 

Frigga appeared in Loki’s doorway with eyes that resembled her oldest son’s. “Jane texted?” she asked a bit breathlessly.

 

Thor turned his crazy eyes to her and Loki nodded. “She wants to see him.”

 

Frigga clapped her hands together. “Oh, that’s wonderful!”

 

Thor’s phone chimed again and they all yelled.

 

“She wants to know if you’d like to go get a drink at seven,” Loki read.

 

Thor screamed again, no words, just high-pitched distress.

 

“I will take that as a  _ yes _ ,” Loki murmured before letting Jane know Thor was free.

 

“Loki, what time are you picking Natasha up from the airport?” Frigga asked as she entered the room to rub Thor’s back and calm him down.

 

“Her flight lands at four, so I was going to leave at three thirty,” he answered.

 

“And will you be coming back here?” Frigga asked as she attempted to remove Thor’s hands from the side of his head.

 

“I’m going to take her home first to drop all of her stuff and then we will probably come back here after she’s showered.”

 

She gave up on trying to turn Thor into a normal person and settled for resuming her back rubs. “It will be nice to see her again.”

 

It  _ would _ be nice to see her again.

 

Thor screamed again as his phone went off.

 

“She just sent a smiley face emoji,” Loki said, turning the phone to show his brother.

 

Thor nodded and dropped his hands before gasping and throwing them up again. “I have to find something to wear!”

 

Loki rolled his eyes. “I’ll help you,”  he grumbled as he gripped his brother’s elbow and steered him from the room.

 

Frigga smiled as she watched her boys walk out.

 

oooooo

 

“So then he asked me if I want to ‘hook up’ tomorrow - how dare he!” Natasha fumed as she flicked a hair tie at the ceiling.

 

It was eleven p.m. now. The friends had already painted their nails, braided each other’s hair, gone through two movies and two pizzas, and had spent the last hour on Loki’s floor talking.

 

“What did he mean by ‘hook up’?” Loki asked.

 

Natasha shook her head. “He probably just wanted to get together, but I don’t like the word choice. Especially after a year of not seeing each other.”

 

It appeared Jane was not the only one trying to rekindle things with an ex.

 

Clint had also spied on his ex’s Facebook page and texted her once she announced she was back stateside.

 

“What did you tell him?” Loki asked as he retrieved the flicked hair tie from where it had landed and handed it back to Natasha so she could flick it again.

 

“I told him I would let him know if I felt like it tomorrow.”

 

Loki smiled. He admired Natasha’s fearlessness.

 

“How do you feel about it now? Do you want to see him?”

 

Natasha sighed and dropped her head back against Loki’s bed. “I miss him,” she admitted.

 

Loki understood that feeling all too well. Natasha knew that Loki knew.

 

“Would you consider getting back together?” Loki pressed, nudging her leg with his own.

 

She shrugged. “Maybe. Shit, maybe Thor told him Jane texted and that’s where he got the idea to text me.”

 

It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility. Perhaps Clint had been inspired by Thor’s joy and sought his own.

 

Speaking of which -

 

Loki glanced at the clock and raised his eyebrows.

 

Thor and Jane were still out.

 

“I think my brother is doing some ‘getting back together’ of his own,” Loki murmured.

 

“Good for him,” Natasha said with a sigh.

 

Loki nudged her again. “Do you think you’ll still talk to that guy from your weight training class?” he asked with a shit-eating grin.

 

Natasha rolled her eyes. “The one who called me ‘Natalie’ and cried when I benched more than him? No thank you.”

 

“You said he was cute, though.”

 

“He  _ was _ cute up until the crying. I suppose I could always show his picture to Clint, though and see if he gets jealous,” she said with a shrug.

 

The sound of the front door opening and shutting distracted them both. Loki waited until he heard footsteps coming up the stairs and entering the hallway before calling out, “Thor?”

 

A moment later, Loki’s door opened and his brother stepped in.

 

“Natasha!” he greeted brightly as she stood up to hug him.

 

Thor was an excellent hugger.

 

“I heard you had a big night,” Natasha said with a smirk as she sat back down on the floor.

 

Thor joined them and grinned widely.

 

“It was a  _ wonderful _ night,” he beamed.

 

Loki kicked him. “Did you get back together?”

 

Thor nodded and bounced a little with it. Loki and Natasha cheered for him and then quieted immediately when they remembered Odin was already asleep.

 

“Hey, Thor - you didn’t by any chance text Clint about this, did you?” Natasha asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

 

“I did, yes! I messaged him shortly after Loki helped me choose an outfit.”

 

Loki pursed his lips as Natasha rolled her eyes.

 

“Why…did I do something wrong?” Thor asked, confused by their reactions.

 

“No, no you did nothing wrong. It’s just that he texted me about getting together tomorrow that’s all,” she answered.

 

Thor raised his eyebrows. “That’s wonderful! Are you going to see him?”

 

She shrugged.

 

Loki’s phone went off and distracted them.

 

“Boyfriend?” Natasha asked.

 

Loki blindly reached up onto his desk for his phone and nodded when he saw the name on the screen.

 

His face immediately turned bright red when he unlocked the phone and saw the message.

 

“What did he say let me see,” Natasha said as she reached her arm out.

 

Loki shook his head and locked his phone again. “I can’t show you this.”

 

Thor frowned. “He had better not be sending you anything inappropriate,” he admonished, correctly interpreting Loki’s blush.

 

“Thor, he’s my boyfriend.”

 

“He had better treat you like a gentleman!”

 

Natasha laughed. “Oh he treats Loki  _ real nice _ ,” she teased.

 

Thor scowled at that and got up to leave. “I’m not above pummeling him, Loki.”

 

“You’re a little late for the pummel,” Natasha muttered.

 

“I’m a what now.”

 

“Thor, quit being over-protective,” Loki said, though it secretly pleased him to have his brother so ruffled over his honor.

 

“I will do no such thing. Goodnight, Natasha!” Thor said before leaving and making for his own room.

 

“Speaking of which,” Natasha said once they heard the click of Thor’s door closing. “You’ve been home for a few days now, have you two…” she finished by wiggling her eyebrows.

 

Loki blushed harder and shook his head. “I would have told you if we had.”

 

She sat back and considered her friend. “Do you think you will soon?”

 

This was the question looming over his head.

 

Tony hadn’t pressured Loki for anything, and they had certainly been in  _ bed _ together since Loki came home. But Loki had built this up in his head so much now that he was nervous about popping that bubble and risking things not going as well as he thought they should.

 

“I don’t know...I want it to be perfect, you know?” he answered sheepishly.

 

Natasha nodded. “It will be. You’re in love.”

 

Loki smiled at the floor.

 

“And you’re already having sex,” she continued. “This is just another kind of sex.”

 

She wasn’t wrong. It was this very thought that Loki continually reminded himself of when he got overwhelmed by the possibility of what having intercourse would mean.

 

And yet…

 

“You know you could always penetrate him, if you’re nervous about being reminded of Fandral,” Natasha suggested.

 

Loki liked the sound of that. “I suppose I could, I’ve just always fantasized about it the other way.”

 

His phone went off again and Loki blushed before he even saw the message.

 

“Is he sending you dick pics?”

 

Loki’s blush was answer enough, but he still said, “Yeah.”

 

“When do you see him next?”

 

Loki typed something back and shrugged. “Probably tomorrow. We talked about doing a movie marathon at his place.”

 

The friends were quiet for a few minutes as Loki texted his boyfriend back and Natasha lost herself in her own thoughts.

 

“Do you think you’ll marry him?” she asked suddenly.

 

Loki was completely taken aback.

 

True he and Tony had been together for a while now, and that wasn’t even including all of their time together from the previous year, but marriage?

 

“I don’t know...don’t you think we’re a little young for that?”

 

Natasha fixed him with a serious look. “You are absolutely too young for that. But I don’t know - if you’d thought about it for the future.”

 

Truthfully it had occurred to him before, but purely in the abstract. Like certain songs they would play at the wedding, or what their bedroom would look like when they owned a place together. 

 

But he had never discussed any of this with Tony.

 

“It’s a nice thought,” he conceded as his phone lit up with another photo.

 

Yes, Loki could imagine spending the rest of his life with that body in his bed.

 

“Do you want to watch another movie?” she asked, nudging him with her foot.

 

“Jurassic Park?”

 

“Hell yeah.”

 

oooooo

 

The thing Loki loved most about Tony’s place is how comfortable he’d felt there even before they started dating.

 

Tony gave him free reign of the place, with everything from the food in the kitchen to the clothes in his dresser.

 

Loki used it all.

 

Far and away the place where they spent the bulk of their time was the couch in front of the large television. Here they could sleep, snuggle, pleasure each other - or actually use what the space was intended for and watch things.

 

The boys made good on their plans for a movie marathon. Natasha had spent the night and left to go meet up with Clint after waffling about whether or not she would.

 

It was ultimately Thor’s bright and happy face that sealed the deal for her.

 

After she left, Loki wanted his own bright happy smile and texted his boyfriend.

 

Tony swung over to Loki’s house to pick him up, then they grabbed Indian food takeout and returned to Tony’s to begin their festivities.

 

“What do you want to start with?” Tony asked as he arranged their food on the coffee table in front of the couch.

 

“Pacific Rim,” Loki answered as he tugged his shoes and socks off.

 

“As you wish,” Tony said in perfect imitation of the Dread Pirate Roberts.

 

It brought to mind their ill-fated Halloween party, but Loki still smiled. “You wore that costume to impress me,” he stated confidently.

 

Tony nodded as he fiddled with the remote. “Yes and this year you can be Buttercup.”

 

Loki laughed and kicked him.

 

It pleased him that according to Tony, it was understood that come Halloween time they would still be together.

 

It made Loki think of Natasha’s question last night.

 

He wondered if Tony had ever thought about marriage. Loki wished he had thought to ask back when they were still friends. Now if he asked it would certainly reveal that he was thinking about it.

 

Tony got the movie started and then reached for their food. “What would you like to start with, my dear?”

 

“A samosa.”

 

“A?” Tony repeated.

 

Loki growled. “Three samosas,” he corrected.

 

“There’s the man I love,” Tony said as he grabbed the entire takeout container of samosas and handed the whole thing to Loki.

 

His comment was so innocent but it made Loki’s heart feel like bursting.

 

_ The man I love _ .

 

This wasn’t  _ news _ , but he had said it so casually, so reflexively - so instinctively.

 

It gave Loki goosebumps.

 

Once they had food on their laps they took up their usual positions: opposite ends of the couch with Loki’s feet in Tony’s lap. This was made somewhat difficult by the food, but Loki was uninterested in being accommodating.

 

Halfway through the film, when their food was long-devoured, Loki nudged his boyfriend with his foot to silently ask for a foot rub.

 

“Yes, my sweet love?” Tony asked in a sing-song. “What’s that? You’d like a foot massage? Well, since you asked so politely.”

 

Loki grinned and closed his eyes as Tony started to rub him. “You are good to me.”

 

Tony smirked. “Yeah and you’re spoiled.”

 

Loki opened one eye and raised an eyebrow. “I thought you liked spoiling me.”

 

Tony gripped his ankle firmly. “I  _ love _ spoiling you. It is one of the few pleasures I’ve wrung out of this miserable life.”

 

Loki frowned at that.

 

This was post-Afghanistan humor. Tony had never joked like this before that time.

 

“Miserable life?” Loki asked, hoping to sound casual and not reveal how deeply concerned he was that Tony actually believed his life was miserable.

 

Tony didn’t immediately answer. He kept his eyes on the screen and continued to rub Loki’s feet.

 

After a quiet minute Loki tried again.

 

“Tony?”

 

“Yes, dearest?”

 

Loki pulled his feet off of his boyfriend’s lap and crossed his legs. “You said miserable life.”

 

Tony smiled, but Loki was wise to it. “I was just joking - come on, I thought you liked my sense of humor.”

 

“Is there anything you want to talk about?” Loki tried.

 

A kaiju yelled on the screen but neither boy looked.

 

“Loki, I promise it was just a joke. I have a wonderful life. I have  _ you _ ,” Tony answered as he reached forward to grab at Loki’s feet.

 

Loki shook his head.and held his legs in. “You can have things you love in life and still feel miserable,” he said quietly.

 

They both knew what he was talking about.

 

Tony sighed and stared at his boyfriend, like he was weighing whether or not to continue trying to flirt his way out of a serious conversation or engage.

 

“Loki,” he said after a minute. “Can’t we just watch the movie?”

 

“We could, yes. But if you have something on your mind I’d prefer to hear it,” Loki answered.

 

The movie was still playing, still trying to tempt them away from this.

 

Tony was quiet for a minute as he stared off at a space on the wall. “I don’t know,” he said finally.

 

Loki bit his tongue to keep from interrupting a potential train of thought.

 

“Things have just been different since the attack,” Tony said quietly.

 

“Different how?”

 

Tony sighed and dropped his chin to his chest. “I’m just… I’m very aware that we are all going to die. That everything can be taken away so easily.”

 

Loki blinked and nodded. He knew these kinds of thoughts well.

 

“And it’s exhausting, you know? Like things don’t seem as fun as they used to.”

 

That particular statement gave Loki pause.

 

“What else?” Loki asked gently.

 

Tony turned his beautiful eyes to meet his boyfriend’s and smiled. “Do you really hate the movie so much?”

 

Loki shook his head. “No, I just love you so much.”

 

Tony smiled at him. “Come here, you,” he said as he reached out for Loki who obliged and leaned forward to kiss his love.

 

They kissed gently at first, around shy smiles. Loki realized it was possible that Tony was only kissing him to avoid further discussion of his demons, but it was equally possible that this was the warmth and reassurance Tony needed.

 

Loki licked into his boyfriend’s mouth as he settled onto his lap.

 

Tony grinned into their kiss and lightly stroked up and down on Loki’s flank. “You taste like garlic naan,” he murmured.

 

“What, you think you taste like mouthwash?” Loki teased. 

 

Tony laughed and flipped them so he was laying on top of Loki. “We could pause the movie…” he said quietly against Loki’s neck.

 

“No need,” Loki answered. “Jaegers get me off.”

 

oooooo

 

Hours later, when the boys had wrung lovely moans and cries of completion from each other’s lips, and the movie was long since finished, they resumed their position on the couch.

 

“Do you want to live together next year?”

 

Loki blinked and looked up from his phone. He was texting Thor a meme.

 

“What?”

 

Tony gripped his ankle and grinned at him. “Senior year, I was planning on moving into a campus apartment instead of a dorm. And I want you to move in with me.”

 

To live together…

 

Loki had fantasized about this before, certainly. And Bruce was studying abroad for the first semester, so Loki would have been placed with someone else.

 

“You know you snore,” Loki teased around a barely concealed grin.

 

“Yeah and you drool.”

 

“I do not!”

 

“Mm hurmph I’m Loki all I do is drool all night and all day-” Tony was interrupted by Loki tossing a pillow at him.

 

Tony caught the pillow and lowered it slowly, in case there were more coming. It hid the lower half of his face, but from the crinkles around his eyes Loki could tell he was smiling.

 

“So, what do you say?”

 

Loki looked down at his lap and smiled wider. “Are you sure about this?”

 

“If I wasn’t sure before, then spending a year apart from you has made me damn certain.”

 

Loki looked at him fondly for that.

 

It was true. The year apart really solidified how little they cared for it.

 

“Yes, Tony, I would love to live with you.”

 

Tony squeezed his ankle and then brought Loki’s foot up to his mouth so he could lightly bite his pinky toe - as he had done before.

 

“Do you wanna get a dog?” Tony asked around the toe.

 

Loki yanked his foot back. “Can we? I thought pets weren’t allowed on campus housing?”

 

Tony made a face and shrugged his shoulders. “I’m Tony Stark - my dad donated the communications building. I’m pretty sure if I want to get a dog with my boyfriend then we can get a dog.”

 

oooooo

 

They had months before term started, but Tony thought it made sense to get the dog sooner rather than later so it had time to get used to them before they added the stress of their schoolwork on top of everything.

 

They went to a local shelter, with the understanding that they were just looking and wouldn’t be leaving with a dog that day.

 

They both knew they were fools.

 

After all of four minutes of browsing, they came upon a Rottweiler resting on his tummy with his paws stretched out in front of them. The dog didn’t jump up against the bars and pant excitedly the way all the other dogs did.

 

The informational page on the side of its cage read that he was two years old, came from an abusive household, loved belly rubs and kisses, and would work best in a home with no other dogs.

 

Loki crouched down to better meet the dogs eyeline, smiling when the dog’s eyebrows lifted and it settled its gaze on Loki.

 

Tony already knew they were going home with it, he knew the second he heard Loki’s sharp intake of breath when they saw the puppy.

 

After a minute of staring at each other, the puppy slowly got to its feet and walked over to Loki.

 

“Hey, little guy,” Loki cooed as he offered his fingers through the bar so the dog could sniff them.

 

The dog took a few sniffs and then licked Loki’s fingers.

 

Loki tried to scratch and pet what he could, but the cage made it difficult. As soon as the dog realized Loki wanted to pet him he changed his tune completely. The passive, sleepy pup was gone and replaced with an exuberant wiggling baby who wanted scritches on his stomach.

 

“Oh, who’s a good boy? Who’s a good boy?”

 

The dog wiggled on its back in answer.

 

Loki turned around to look at his boyfriend. “Tony, can we-“

 

But Tony was already up at the counter pointing to the dog and saying, “We’ll take him.”

 

Loki took him on walks at night, when other dogs were less likely to be out. Tony joined them sometimes, but more often than not was caught up in the middle of a project and didn’t want to step away and break his train of thought.

 

They argued over the name.

 

Tony wanted to call him ‘Iron’. Loki said that was dumb.

 

The decision was settled when Loki came home with a collar that read ‘Fenris’, without asking first.

 

“No, see the first two letters are ‘F E’ - it’s like iron. So we both get what we want.”

 

Tony was too amused to be truly upset. “Hey, Fenris? Is that your name?” he asked a very excited dog.

 

They also argued about whether or not the dog should be allowed to join them in bed.

 

Tony thought it was the ultimate cockblock - having a giant dog wrestled in between them. He couldn’t put the moves on Loki if he had to work around another beast trying to spoon his boyfriend.

 

Loki hated to say no to their pet, though. Fenris quickly became the master of the puppy dog eyes and even put Loki’s to shame.

 

Ultimately they decided that Fenris could sleep in the bed as long as he slept on the other side of Loki, so Tony could still spoon him. They also waited to let him in the room until after they were done with their nighttime activities.

 

After the first two weeks, with Loki spending nearly every day at Tony’s house - where they needed to keep Fenris - they decided Loki would move in early.

 

Thor was sad about it.

 

Even with Loki gone most nights, this felt too permanent. He didn’t like the idea of not being able to walk down the hall to his little brother’s room.

 

Frigga was even worse.

 

While she was happy that her son was in a loving relationship, and immediately regarded Fenris as a grandchild, Loki had just come back from a whole year away and she’d hoped to be able to keep him near to her at least over the summer.

 

But she and Thor helped Loki move his things to Tony’s house and resisted saying anything that might guilt him into staying home.

 

Tony had them stay for dinner, to ease the transition, and Fenris stole food off of everyone’s plates.

 

oooooo

 

Loki wanted to contribute to the household, even though Tony insisted that expenses were not something Loki needed to worry about. But for his own edification and sense of calm, Loki got a job.

 

Places were always hiring for seasonal support during the summer, and Loki reasoned that a job waiting tables would have flexible enough hours that he could still spend loads of time with his loved ones and try to get shifts that coincided with Tony’s lab time.

 

After one week, with Loki reporting great yields on tips, Natasha joined him.

 

Then Thor.

 

They each worked six days a week, wanting to save all that they could before the school year drained them. The managers were very accommodating of their request to work the same shifts, and it made the time pass like nothing at all.

 

On more than one occasion, Frigga, Jane, and Tony came in on a date to surprise their boys. 

 

Loki slipped them extra drinks.

 

Tony wasn’t much for cooking, so Loki took over that role. He was able to bring home leftovers from the restaurant often enough, and they still enjoyed takeout on movie nights. But the new normal became Loki making lunch for himself to take to work, tucking away Tony’s for him to grab in between projects, and then coming home and making them dinner.

 

Fenris was spoiled rotten.

 

At all of their meals the boys would take turns sneakily feeding him little bits of food under the table. Each of them hid this from the other so they didn’t realize how much their dog was actually eating.

 

Fenris gained a lot of weight rather quickly, so Loki upped their walks and runs.

 

On nights when Tony was transfixed with his own work, Natasha would join Loki on his runs and help him wear out the dog.

 

She and Clint had gotten back together after their initial meeting. But in the interest of protecting herself from getting hurt again, she kept him at arm’s length. She never spent the night at his place, she often went days without seeing him, and she wouldn’t say ‘I love you’.

 

They spent many of their walks discussing it.

 

Loki didn’t share any of Natasha’s business with Tony, as it was private friend business, but Thor was privy to whatever bits she shared at work.

 

He was in a somewhat awkward position, having been Clint’s friend first, but he was also able to offer reassurance that his friend was very much into Natasha and deeply regretted ending things before.

 

Loki wondered if Jane felt the same way.

 

After they got back together, Thor and Jane were nearly inseparable when he wasn’t at work. He would finish a shift and drive straight over to her place, then come into work the next day blushing with a smile.

 

Things were great.

 

Between Loki’s work and Tony’s projects, they didn’t spend as much time together as they guessed living together would entail. Truthfully, this pacified a fear of Loki’s that Tony would become sick of him after moving too fast following an entire year apart. He worried that after a few weeks of waking up next to and falling asleep beside Loki everyday that Tony would realize he had made a mistake and withdraw his proposal that they get an apartment together.

 

Tony felt the opposite.

 

While he was proud of Loki for working so hard and glad that he was spending lots of time with his best friend and brother, and it also afforded him his own time to work on engineering pursuits, he missed his boyfriend all the time! Loki coming home from work was his favorite part of the day.

 

Mondays were Loki’s days off, and they spent every second of it together.

 

They woke up at the same time as they did during the rest of the week, wanting to keep their cycles regulated, but they often wouldn’t get out of bed until noon, except to give Fenris his breakfast before hoping right back in bed. They liked to wake up, hold each other close, and talk about all the things they wanted to do.

 

The matter of actually getting out of bed and doing them was elusive.

 

When they finally did roll out of bed to brush their teeth and shower, it usually led to touching, which led to oral, which led to orgasms that made them sleepy. They would grab something easy for breakfast and then laze around to watch movies and caress each other.

 

Sometimes they would go over to eat dinner with Frigga on Mondays. But Loki was always careful to choose dates when his father was out of town.

 

They hadn’t spoken since the day Loki came home from London.

 

Thor and Jane liked to join for those nights too. It delighted Frigga to have both of her boys at home.

 

By the time summer rolled to a close, the boys mourned the coming end of their routines. No more lazy Mondays, as their weekends would soon be filled with homework and study.

 

Loki decided to keep working a few days a week, as choir wasn’t a terribly large commitment. Natasha kept the same schedule as Loki.

 

Thor was forced to quit due to his athletic requirements, but he had saved enough to allow him to treat Jane to fun dates at least for the rest of the semester. The restaurant said he would be welcome back during the winter holiday as they always needed extra help during that time.

 

On the eve before their first day of classes, Loki took the evening off so he and Tony could have their own date.

 

They drove out to their preferred spot for stargazing, complete with the little cooler full of beer, tossed a blanket in the backseat and curled up close.

 

Loki rested his head back on Tony’s chest and let out a happy sigh.

 

“Do you remember the first time we came out here?”

 

Tony squeezed him and laughed. “You were shirtless - how could I forget?”

 

Loki gave a fond hum. “Do you remember the second time?”

 

“Our first kiss. I will  _ never  _ forget that.”

 

“Second,” Loki corrected. “Our first kiss was at the New Year’s Eve party.”

 

“That was a spectacular kiss,” Tony conceded. “But you were still with fuckhead at the time.”

 

Loki grimaced at the memory. “What do you consider our first date to be?”

 

“When we got Chinese food the day we met.”

 

“What? But we barely knew each other.”

 

Tony kissed Loki’s head and smiled into his curls. “Yeah but even then I liked you.”

 

“I told you we had to maintain a professional relationship.”

 

“Yeah and then I called you ‘Freud’.”

 

Loki smiled at the memory.

 

“Looking back at that night, did you imagine we would end up here?” Loki asked as he relaxed further into Tony’s embrace.

 

“I hoped so.”

 

It was a lovely idea.

 

“Did you picture us getting a dog and an apartment together?”

 

They had moved in a week ago, wanting to acclimate before classes started up. It wasn’t entirely necessary to get a new place, since Tony’s provided all the space they needed, but Loki wanted to be on campus to make getting to class easier. That meant more sleep.

 

“Oh yeah, of course. I imagined our wedding, and you barefoot and pregnant, our taxes and health insurance - the whole nine yards.”

 

He was plainly joking, but Loki’s heart skipped a beat.

 

There was a moment where he debated whether or not to say anything, and then ultimately succumbed to his curiosity.

 

“Have you really pictured a wedding?”

 

Tony shifted his grip, and although Loki couldn’t see his face he could guess at the expression.

 

“Yeah, sure. Haven’t you?”

 

Loki was glad Tony couldn’t see him blushing. “I may have thought about it once or twice.”

 

“Oh yeah?” Tony teased, squeezing him again. “What do you imagine?”

 

“Nothing too specific.”

 

“Oh  _ bull-shit _ . Come on, Loki, tell me or I’ll be forced to sing.”

 

This wasn’t a terribly dangerous threat, as Loki happened to think Tony’s voice was much nicer than he gave himself credit for.

 

But all the same.

 

“Just things like songs we might dance to or snacks we might have or how the wedding night would go,” Loki answered, trying to sound casual.

 

“Ooh, let’s discuss that last one further.”

 

Loki elbowed him. “If you tease me there won’t  _ be _ a wedding night.”

 

Tony kissed his head again. “Did you imagine a thousand rose petals and candles filing the room?”

 

“What did I just say-“

 

“That’s how I imagine it,” Tony interrupted.

 

They were quiet for a moment. “You’ve imagined our wedding night?”

 

“Yup.”

 

Loki waited for more and nearly shrieked at his boyfriend. “And?”

 

Tony grinned at Loki’s eagerness. “And what?”

 

“What did you imagine?”

 

Tony extricated one of his arms and began to play with Loki’s hair. “Oh, you know nothing too special. The flowers the candles - champagne probably. Cherry-scented lube. ‘Sexual healing’ on in the background.”

 

This sounded like a joke, but Tony had put it on once before sticking his hands down Loki’s pants.

 

Loki smiled. “The background to what?”

 

Tony buried his fingers in Loki’s hair and pulled his head closer. “ _ Making love to youuu _ ,” he sang.

 

They both laughed at that.

 

“Do you want a beer?” Tony asked, and Loki didn’t miss this as a change of topic.

 

“Sure, I’ll grab them,” Loki replied.

 

After resituating their bodies to hold their beers without risking a spill on each other, Loki considered his boyfriend and took a deep breath.

 

“I think I’m ready,” he said.

 

Tony raised an eyebrow at him. “To get married?”

 

Loki’s eyes flew open. “No! No, no - god no. But, you know…”

 

Tony waited and took another sip of beer.

 

“To  _ make love to you _ ,” Loki sang quickly, hoping to alleviate some of his anxiety through the sing song.

 

It didn’t work. His boyfriend’s expression was inscrutable. 

 

“You mean-“

 

Loki nodded rapidly. “I’ve thought about it a lot this summer and I’m ready.”

 

Tony reached over and took his hand. “You know I don’t mind waiting.”

 

“I know. But I think  _ I’m  _ done waiting.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

Loki nodded again. The boys smiled at each other for a minute before he added, “I mean, not here.”

 

Tony laughed. “Yeah I didn’t think you wanted to pull your pants down out in the middle of nowhere.”

 

“I didn’t say no to  _ that _ .”

 

So they made good on Tony’s suggestion and each divested themselves of their pants before moving back under the blanket to give each other hand jobs while the stars above them twinkled.

 

oooooo

 

The first day of term gave Loki ample fodder for complaining.

 

When he and Tony returned to their apartment for dinner that night, Loki set down his bag and unloaded immediately.

 

“I hate people.”

 

Tony laughed and uncorked a bottle of wine. “Tell me everything, dearest.”

 

“There are people who bring their laptops to class just to play games!”

 

“Was today the first time you’ve seen that?”

 

Loki scowled. “Today was the first time someone left the sound on!”

 

“Oh shit. And the professor didn’t say anything?”

 

Loki accepted the glass of wine his boyfriend offered and shook his head. “I think he must be hard of hearing. But I was sitting right behind the guy so it interfered with hearing the lecture.”

 

“I’m surprised you didn’t say anything.”

 

“Who says I didn’t?” Loki asked with a ticked up eyebrow.

 

“Cheers to my hostile boyfriend!” Tony said as he raised his glass. Loki clinked it and then took a sip.

 

“How was your day?” Loki asked as he bent down to scratch Fenris behind the ears.

 

Tony shrugged. “I only had one class so I spent most of it in the lab. Tomorrow and Thursday will be my busy days.”

 

The truth was that while Tony had spent the bulk of the day in the lab, his mind was elsewhere.

 

He couldn’t get last night’s conversation with Loki out of his head.

 

Unbeknownst to him, he and his boyfriend had both built this up into something spectacular - and Tony wanted everything to be perfect. He wanted Loki to associate this kind of sex with love and pleasure instead of fear and obligation.

 

Tony wanted to take him out on a nice date, have a good meal, enjoy each other’s company, and then take their time going over every inch of each other’s bodies before they moved on to intercourse.

 

He also wanted Loki to be the one to call the shots.

 

“Did you get to see Pepper at all?” Loki asked.

 

“Yeah, but her days are reversed so she was really busy today.”

 

Pepper and Natasha had an apartment to themselves in the same complex as Tony and Loki. 

 

“Should we invite them over for a drink?”

 

Tony perked up at that. “Yeah! We can text Thor too, I don’t think he has practice today.”

 

Ten minutes later there was a knock on the door.

 

“I hate people,” Natasha said as she swept into the apartment.

 

Loki smiled fondly at her.

 

Pepper handed Tony a bottle of wine and he traded her for a glass full of the one he’d opened.

 

“Thank you, my dear,” he said as he set the bottle on the counter.

 

“Tell me everything,” Loki said as he took a seat beside his friend on the couch and handed her her own glass.

 

The group spent the next ten minutes bitching and listening to each other until Thor arrived with Jane.

 

“Do you also hate people?” Tony asked as he answered the door.

 

Thor looked confused. “What?”

 

“Sometimes I do,” answered Jane.

 

Once everyone had a full glass of wine, Loki threw a frozen pizza in the oven and the students settled down onto chairs and the couch.

 

“This place is nice,” Jane remarked as she looked around. “You two did a great job with the decorating.”

 

Loki saluted with his wine glass. “Thank you.”

 

Tony rubbed his boyfriend’s back. “This was all Loki. He went ham at Bed Bath and Beyond.”

 

“We had a lot of coupons,” Loki countered.

 

“Yeah we cleaned house,” Natasha added.

 

“Oh, but you should see our place,” Pepper said to Thor and Jane. “So many amenities.”

 

“Perhaps we should take a trip there,” Thor suggested to his lady love.

 

“I like that store,” Jane replied.

 

They chatted amiably until the oven timer went off, and then grabbed slices and returned to their previous spots.

 

Fenris lingered in the center of the room, waiting patiently for someone to drop food.

 

“Loki, did you not have choir rehearsal today?” Thor asked around a mouthful of cheese.

 

Loki shook his head and Natasha answered for him as his own mouth was full. “Starts tomorrow.”

 

“What about football?” Loki asked once he swallowed his food.

 

“Same - we begin tomorrow afternoon,” Thor answered.

 

They discussed their classes and extracurriculars until the pizza and wine were gone. 

 

Tony suggested putting on a movie, but everyone agreed they ought to get a head start on their homework and turn in early before another day of classes. Once everyone had left, Loki turned to Tony with a grin on his face and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s neck.

 

“We don’t have to turn in early,” he murmured against Tony’s lips.

 

“Oh ho ho - what did you have in mind?”

 

Loki pulled back to look his boyfriend in the eye. “Would you like to take a bath with me?”

 

Tony was pulling his shirt off before Loki finished his sentence.

 

Showering together was nice, but baths were extra sexy. You could soak and enjoy each other with bubbles and drinks.

 

While Loki prepared the bath, Tony stripped and opened another bottle of wine.

 

Fenris gave him a look.

 

“Don’t give me that look, we are adults.”

 

Fenris continued to stare.

 

Tony picked off a bit of cheese stuck to the cutting board and tossed it down to his dog.

 

The sound of the water shutting off urged Tony into the bathroom.

 

Loki was still pulling candles out from the underneath the sink. “I thought we could have some ambience,” he explained.

 

“Nice,” Tony said as he set their wine glasses down on the counter and bent to help his boyfriend.

 

They placed the candles strategically around the tiny room and turned the lights off once they were lit.

 

“Ah,” Tony breathed triumphantly at the sight.

 

Loki had filled the tub with bubbles, and they each watched each other disappear into the white froth as they sank into the tub with their wine.

 

“Cheers to our new home,” Loki said as he reached his glass forward.

 

“Clink clink, dearest,” Tony answered as he tapped their glasses together.

 

They settled back, as much as Loki was able with the faucet behind him, and gazed at each other.

 

“I love you,” Loki said quietly.

 

Tony smiled at him and nudged Loki’s ass with his foot. “I love you too, hot cakes.”

 

“Tony, I think tonight would be...I’d like to try it tonight.”

 

“Tonight?” Tony repeated, looking incredulous.

 

Loki nodded.

 

Tony didn’t answer right away, but he frowned and stared at the bubbles.

 

“What?” Loki asked as he repeated Tony’s butt nudging with his own foot.

 

“Nothing just… I always imagined taking you out first and making a day of it.”

 

Loki smiled. “That’s how I’ve imagined it too. But I’m ready and I don’t want to wait anymore.”

 

Tony nodded slowly and then met Loki’s gaze. “I have a counter-offer.”

 

Loki raised his eyebrows and nodded for Tony to continue.

 

“Let’s try fingering tonight. Just fingering. We’ll see how it goes, and if you like it then we can plan to try it this weekend,” Tony offered.

 

Loki blinked slowly and took a sip of wine as he thought about this.

 

“Do you think we’re making too big of a deal about this?” Loki asked after a minute.

 

“Loki, you went through a lot. I’d be concerned if we  _ weren’t _ making it a big deal.”

 

“I want it to be special.”

 

Tony reached out and squeezed Loki’s hand. “I want that too. That’s why I think we should go slowly.”

 

They continued to hold hands and drink their wine in silence until Loki nodded again. “I like your idea. And then, this weekend we can have the day we’ve been picturing.”

 

“If you like what you feel tonight,” Tony reminded him.

 

“Right.”

 

They visibly relaxed after that and continued to drink.

 

“You know, you could also try fingering me,” Tony said.

 

Loki raised his eyebrows. “Is that something you’d be interested in?”

 

Tony nodded. “I like the idea of us each sharing these experiences.”

 

Loki tossed the rest of his wine back and stood up. “Let’s go to bed.”

 

They rinsed the bubbles off hastily and grinned all the way to their bedroom.

 

Fenris was asleep on the couch in the living room, having been barred from the bathroom, so they quietly shut the door and toweled off before he could wake and try to come join them.

 

Even though they knew it would be a while before they tried this, the boys were prepared for such an occasion with lube and finger cots.

 

Loki laid down on the bed while Tony retrieved those items.

 

“Can I interest you in a little mood music?” Tony asked as he turned on ‘Let’s Get it On’.

 

Loki laughed and caught the lube and cots Tony tossed to him. “Will this help you perform?”

 

Tony bit his lip and wiggled his eyebrows. “It will help me feel  _ sexy _ .”

 

“Come here.”

 

They left the lights on so they could see what they were doing, and it allowed Loki to see every silly sexy face Tony made as he crawled onto the bed and covered his boyfriend with his body. He rested in between Loki’s legs and lowered his face to kiss the lips he loved so much.

 

Loki lightly stroked up and down Tony’s back as he licked along his boyfriend’s lower lip. He bent his knees and bracketed Tony’s hips, positioning his feet flat on the bed.

 

They kissed lazily while the song played, and broke to laugh when it came on again immediately after ending.

 

“You put it on repeat?” Loki asked.

 

“Well I figured we would last more than one song.”

 

Loki laughed again and nudged Tony’s hip with his knee.

 

“ _ And if you feel - like I feel _ ,” Tony sang into Loki’s ear before he pressed a kiss to the lobe.

 

He dragged his lips over the curve of cartilage and then traced the path he just took with his tongue. Loki shivered underneath him and titled his head a bit to expose his neck more, silently asking for kisses.

 

Tony shifted down a bit to accommodate the request.

 

Their cocks were hard between them, making it somewhat difficult to resume lying like this.

 

Loki moaned as Tony sucked the juncture of his neck and shoulder and shifted his hips up, searching for friction.

 

While his boyfriend painted his neck pretty colors, Loki lightly scratched all up and down every inch of Tony’s skin he could reach. Tony responded by kissing everything he could reach.

 

He trailed his lips across Loki’s stomach, laughing when Loki’s erection smacked him in the throat.

 

By the time his lips were set at the head of Loki’s cock, Loki had stopped breathing. They were on the third play through of the song and Loki couldn’t hear it.

 

Tony flicked his tongue out to wipe away the clear bead of fluid that had gathered at the tip, the wrapped his lips around the head and sucked lightly.

 

No matter how many times they did this, Loki didn’t think he would ever get enough. A warm mouth and a soft wet tongue - it felt incredible.

 

He arched his back and let out a soft groan as Tony sank further down on him.

 

Tony wanted to do this for a few minutes, to get Loki nice and relaxed, before he introduced his fingers. He reached around Loki’s legs to he could rub at his thighs and massage him gently.

 

On the fourth play through of the song, when Loki was panting and fucking up into Tony’s mouth, he gauged that this was the right time.

 

He pulled off of Loki’s cock, despite a groan of protest, and grinned up at his lover. “I’m going to lube up a finger, ok?”

 

Loki nodded breathlessly.

 

Tony pulled one of the cots out of the box and rolled it down onto his finger. Then, he poured lube onto his palm and rubbed his hands together to warm it up. Once his body warmth had a chance to work its magic, he rubbed all over his covered finger and made it nice and slick.

 

Properly suited, he resumed his position in between Loki’s legs and slipped his finger in between his boyfriend’s cheeks.

 

“Remember to push, ok?”

 

Loki nodded.

 

They had done their research.

 

Tony wrapped his lips around Loki’s erection once more and waited until Loki’s eyes slipped shut and his hips began moving again before he lined his finger up with Loki’s entrance.

 

He paused for a moment, giving Loki time to tell him to stop, and then slowly started to push in.

 

There was a soft sigh above him, and Loki stilled his hips to make Tony’s work easier.

 

Once his finger was pushed in as far as it could go, Tony pulled his mouth off and asked, “Okay?”

 

Loki nodded and kept his eyes shut as he tried to adjust to the feeling.

 

Tony left his finger there for a minute, unmoving, and then wiggled it a bit. “How does that feel?”

 

“Like there’s a wiggling finger in my ass.”

 

“Oh, right ok so  _ super good _ ,” Tony teased. “Is it ok if I start moving it?”

 

“Yeah, can you suck me while you do it?” Loki asked.

 

Tony nodded and put his mouth back as he slowly pulled his finger out a bit and then eased it back in.

 

He continued this slow pace, gliding in and out of Loki, and tried his best to keep up his rhythm on Loki’s cock.

 

“Ok… you can try another finger,” Loki panted.

 

Tony pulled off again to repeat the process with the lube and a second finger cot, trying to be as hasty as possible, and then eased it inside his boyfriend.

 

“Is that too much?” Tony asked as his eyes raked on Loki’s expression.

 

There was a pinched look to his face. “No it’s okay it’s just so  _ odd _ .” 

 

Tony smiled. “You can show me later.”

 

Loki grinned at him and relaxed his features. “Deal.”

 

It was important to go slowly, and Tony took his time. By the time Loki was ready for a third finger, the song was on its seventh play through. Loki adjusted to the intrusion well enough, but he still said it felt strange. It wasn’t until Tony curled his fingers that Loki twitched and gasped.

 

“Do that again,” he demanded.

 

So Tony did.

 

They decided to stop at three fingers and Tony put his mouth back to finally bring his boyfriend some relief.

 

On the eighth play through Loki was spilling into Tony’s mouth.

 

Tony slowly extricated his fingers and kissed the inside of Loki’s thigh.

 

“How did that feel?”

 

Loki could only pant and blink at him.

 

Tony grinned and sat up. He slowly peeled off the finger cots and then leaned over his boyfriend to toss them into the tiny trash can on the other side of their bedside table. Once that was done he slowly lowered himself onto Loki and kissed him.

 

“You look happy,” he murmured.

 

“I am happy,” Loki breathed back.

 

“How’s your ass?”

 

Loki closed his eyes and smiled. “Spoiled.”

 

Tony laughed out loud at that and bit the tip of Loki’s nose.

 

“Just give me a minute to recover and then it’s your turn,” Loki said as he wrapped his arms around Tony.

 

It was warm like this, wrapped in each other’s arms. Loki felt safe.

 

Tony took such good care of him, he was so gentle and so patient. And it  _ felt good _ .

 

Loki absolutely wanted to make plans for this weekend.

 

After a few minutes of holding each other, Loki flipped them over and kissed Tony just like he had been kissed.

 

The damn song made their neighbors crazy but it Tony appreciated the symmetry of each of them climaxing to the same lyric.

 

oooooo

 

The week took a larger toll on the boys than they expected.

 

Their schoolwork was extra demanding this year, with it being their final one. Loki was going for a thesis and considering graduate school. Tony was on the cusp of developing his A.I. and spent the bulk of his free time in his lab.

 

Loki’s work shifts were taxing in a way they had not been over the summer, though he was determined to hold on to the job.

 

Tuesday through Friday, after Loki got home from his runs with Fenris he barely had the energy to shower before collapsing into bed. Tony would wander in a few hours later and curl up beside him.

 

Saturday was their big date day, and Tony wanted to go all out.

 

Loki woke up early to take Fenris for a walk, since he would be dropping him off at Frigga’s and wanted his pooch to be well-behaved and sleepy. After he returned home he found Tony wearing a suit and waiting for him.

 

“You look so handsome,” Loki breathed as his eyes raked over his lovely boyfriend.

 

Tony winked at him and procured a rose. “For you, mi amor.”

 

Loki took the flower and raised an eyebrow. “Are you wooing me?”

 

“Perhaps,” Tony replied with a click of his tongue.

 

“Charming, but unnecessary.”

 

“It’s all necessary. Now go get changed, I’m taking you out.”

 

The details of the day were left up to Tony, at his request. He wanted to surprise Loki with adventures and romance. 

 

To begin they would take a stroll through a local wildflower center and admire the beautiful foliage. Tony had booked the whole place so they were certain to remain undisturbed for their visit.

 

Their wandering would lead them to a private picnic that Tony had arranged with the staff ahead of time. They would enjoy wine and tiny cheeses and play with bumblebees.

 

Then it was off to the zoo, because everyone loves animals. Tony had paid an obscene amount of money to reserve this space as well. Just him, Loki, and some lions and tigers and bears.

 

Oh my.

 

He reasoned they would spend a few hours walking around and admiring everything, and then it was on to the pampering portion of the day.

 

They were going full spa.

 

Three different kinds of facials, two different kinds of massages, a pedicure, a manicure, and wraps Tony couldn’t even remember.

 

He wanted Loki blissed out and relaxed as possible.

 

After the spa they would grab an early dinner at one of their favorite places, and then be home in time to take their time.

 

Tony was so excited.

 

The day passed in much the same way the boys had always fantasized: a lot of flirting, hand holding, and long kisses in front of bear pens.

 

By the time Tony paid the bill at the restaurant they were both thrumming with excitement.

 

Loki chose the music on the drive home and played ‘Let’s Get it On’ to Tony’s laughter.

 

When the door to their apartment closed behind them Tony twirled Loki into his arms and planted a wet kiss on his lips.

 

“Hey you,” he murmured.

 

Loki grinned and kissed him again. “Hey.”

 

“Do you want anything to drink?” Tony asked as he rubbed his hands up and down Loki’s sides.

 

Loki shook his head. “I had four glasses of wine with dinner and I’d rather remember this.”

 

“Oh? What is the ‘this’ you speak of?” Tony asked into Loki’s ear.

 

“Take me to bed,” Loki answered.

 

Tony didn’t have to be told twice.

 

They closed the door to their bedroom, even though Fenris wasn’t home, and Tony looked around the space.

 

“Hold that thought,” he said before he stepped into their bathroom.

 

Loki watched him disappear and began unbuttoning his shirt.

 

A moment later Tony emerged with an armful of their candles.

 

“Are you prepping for our wedding night?” Loki teased as he shrugged his shirt off.

 

“I sure am. By the way we are getting married at that zoo.”

 

Loki laughed and took some of the candles out of Tony’s hands to help place them around the room.

 

Once they were lit, Tony hit the lights and pulled Loki back into his arms.

 

“You should dress like this all the time,” he said before leaning in to kiss Loki’s neck.

 

“Just pants?” Loki asked as he tilted his head.

 

“Mmhmm,” Tony answered in between kisses.

 

Loki groaned and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. “I’d rather leave this particular look for your eyes only.”

 

“Ooh I am a-okay with that,” Tony said as he kissed up to Loki’s lips.

 

They licked into each other’s mouths, tasting the wine they had with dinner, and reaching up to lose their fingers in each other’s hair. Tony stepped forward so he could pull Loki flush against him and groaned when he felt Loki’s erection.

 

Loki pressed himself into Tony’s hold and moaned into his boyfriend’s mouth.

 

“Do you want me to put some music on?” Tony asked.

 

Loki shook his head. “I like hearing you breathe.”

 

Tony nodded and walked them back toward the bed. When it collided with the back of Loki’s knees, Tony leaned forward to push Loki into lying back.

 

They had washed the sheets specifically for tonight, so they would be extra soft and smell like clean detergent. Tony had even made the bed after they got out of it this morning.

 

The candles made the whole room look soft and romantic. The flickering lights cast dancing shadows on Loki’s face.

 

When they were finally laid out completely on the bed, Tony sat back to drink in the sight of Loki’s lean pale body spread out before him like a dessert platter.

 

“Loki, you look…”

 

“Like a vampire with a vitamin deficiency,” Loki finished for him.

 

Tony collapsed onto his boyfriend and shook with laughter.

 

“How did you read my mind?” he asked when he was finally able to breathe.

 

Loki shrugged and grinned. “I’m a man of many talents.”

 

“That you are,” Tony conceded as he joined their lips together again.

 

He was nestled in between Loki’s legs, a favorite place of his, and in a great position to grind their hips together.

 

So he does just that.

 

They were both panting and sweaty by the time Tony stilled his hips and leaned back.

 

“This would be better if we were naked.”

 

Loki nodded so fast it made him dizzy and he reached out with grabby hands to undo Tony’s shirt.

 

They meant to take their time, to strip each other with reverence and awe, but they were so desperate that in all of thirty seconds they were divested of their clothes and Tony was climbing back into his favorite position.

 

Their kisses resumed, and Loki reached around to scratch at Tony’s back.

 

Tony reached between them to grip Loki’s erection and grinned at the happy response he got.

 

“Get the lube,” Loki panted.

 

“Already?” Tony asked, pausing his kisses.

 

Loki nodded frantically. “I want you inside me.”

 

Tony moved faster than he ever had in his life. He took the time to warm up the lube in his hands again, applied three finger cots, and reached between Loki’s legs. “Ready?” he asked with a tilted eyebrow.

 

“Yes, Tony.”

 

At the first finger, Loki groaned and reached down to stroke himself. Tony watched, transfixed, as he worked his finger in and out for several minutes.

 

“Another,” Loki choked.

 

So Tony complied.

 

By the time three fingers were smoothly working in and out Loki looked close to completion.

 

“Tony, Tony do it,” Loki panted.

 

Tony withdrew his fingers and tore off the cots, dropping them indelicately on the floor by the bed. A condom wrapper soon joined them, and then Tony was stroking himself with their cherry lube - an excessive amount of it.

 

Loki shifted a bit and pulled his knees up to his chest. “Is this better?”

 

“Here, why don’t you rest your ankles on my shoulders. I want you relaxed and not holding your legs up,” Tony said as he helped maneuver his boyfriend’s legs into position.

 

Once they were resting in place, Tony gripped himself and angled so the head of his cock was pressed against Loki’s entrance.

 

“You say the word and we stop,” he whispered.

 

Loki nodded and looked down to where their bodies were about to join.

 

Tony pressed his hips forward. “Push,” he instructed.

 

Loki bit his lip and did as he was told.

 

A moment later the head of Tony’s cock was nestled in tight warmth.

 

He paused his hips and looked up at Loki’s face. “How’s that?”

 

There was a moment of quiet, interrupted only by Loki’s deep breathing, and then he nodded. “You can keep going.”

 

Tony released his grip on himself and lightly pushed his hips forward more.

 

It was so so  _ maddeningly _ tight.

 

He settled his arms on either side of Loki’s head and eased himself the rest of the way in. The generous amount of lube he’d applied made the transition easier and helped Loki’s body with the intrusion. 

 

When his hip bones were pressed against the back of Loki’s legs he stopped and panted down at his boyfriend.

 

“I’m inside,” he stated rather lamely.

 

Loki smiled at him and nodded. “Yeah, my ass can tell.”

 

Tony let out a soft laugh and dropped his forehead.

 

“Just let me adjust for a minute,” Loki breathed as he slipped his eyes shut and wrapped his arms up around Tony.

 

“Take all the time you need, Loki,” Tony answered before kissing his nose.

 

They relaxed like that until their breathing evened out, and then Loki opened his eyes and nodded. “Okay.”

 

Tony gently pulled his hips back a few inches, and then eased them forward once more.

 

_ Oh that felt good _ .

 

After repeating the movement a few times he choked out a breath and groaned.

 

“Loki, this feels, so good,” he moaned.

 

Loki smiled up at his love and reached between them to grip himself once more. “You can go a little faster,” he said.

 

“Just tell me if it’s too much,” Tony panted.

 

He swung his hips a bit faster, easing into a nice rhythm that made them both moan and encouraged Loki to stroke himself harder.

 

“More, Tony,” Loki demanded.

 

Tony grinned and listened.

 

Loki was practically bent in half with his legs still up on Tony’s shoulders, and it was getting harder to stay like that the better this felt. He gently slipped his ankles off and tried not to dislodge his boyfriend.

 

“You okay?” Tony asked, pausing his hips.

 

“Don’t stop,” Loki commanded. “I just needed to shift.”

 

Tony resumed his thrusting and laughed at his bossy love.

 

Shifting was a good call. Loki was free now to arch his back and toss his head back onto the pillow, to flex his legs and draw deeper breaths.

 

“Harder, Tony.”

 

It felt good to be this open in bed. To feel like he was in control and pulling the reins. He was flat on his back spread open and had never felt more powerful.

 

Tony shifted his weight forward and drove his hips forward like there was a fire in his belly.

 

Loki wasn’t going to last much longer. He was stroking himself so hard and Tony’s pace had him seeing stars.

 

It was when Tony opened his eyes and met Loki’s and choked out, “I love you,” that Loki lost himself.

 

He spent with a cry and felt tears prickling the corners of his eyes.

 

Tony grinned so wide at the sight.

 

_ Loki just came with me inside him _ .

 

He started to slow his hips, not wanting to over-stimulate his partner, and widened his eyes when Loki shook his head.

 

“Spill inside me.”

 

Far and away this was Tony’s favorite demand that Loki had made tonight.

 

He closed his eyes and grit his teeth and let his hips move instinctively.

 

Loki stared at his lover’s face and struggled to catch his breath.

 

When Tony choked out that he was cumming and his hips stuttered, Loki grinned so wide it pushed tears out of his eyes.

 

Tony collapsed on top of him and panted onto his cheek.

 

“That was amazing,” he breathed.

 

Loki couldn’t stop smiling.

 

He squeezed his boyfriend and nodded. “Yes, it was.”

 

Tony inched forward and kissed his cheek. “I love you,” he said again.

 

“I love you too, Tony, so so much,” Loki answered with another squeeze.

 

They stayed wrapped in each other’s arms until their breathing evened out, and then Tony gingerly pulled himself out and rolled off. He tenderly peeled off the condom and then tossed it in the basket.

 

He shifted to his back and nudged his boyfriend to curl up against his side and rest his head on Tony’s chest. Tony wrapped his right arm around Loki’s back and used his left hand to lightly caress up and down Loki’s arm.

 

“How do you feel?” 

 

Loki grinned and pressed his smile into Tony’s side. “Wonderful.”

 

Tony squeezed him and kissed the top of his head. “Good.”

 

The only sound in the room was their breathing and the distant drag of tires on the road.

 

Outside in the courtyard of their apartment they heard a group of men laugh and cheer madly. What they were excited about remained a mystery, but it made Tony and Loki grin against each other.

 

“We should shower before we fall asleep,” Loki mumbled after thirty minutes of their cuddling, where each boy almost nodded off. “I’m all sticky,” he added.

 

Tony grunted but didn’t move.

 

After another minute, Loki shifted and sat up, which disturbed Tony enough that he opened his eyes and pouted.

 

“It’s so comfortable,” he pleaded.

 

Loki turned his head to give his boyfriend a look. “For you, maybe - I’ve got spunk all over my stomach.”

 

“If I lick it all off will you lie down again?”

 

That made Loki flush. He learned down and kissed his boyfriend softly and then slowly climbed out of bed.

 

He expected to be more sore, but Tony had done a thorough job stretching him and there was only a small dull ache between his legs.

 

“I’m going to shower. Join me if you wish.”

 

It would be a cold day in hell when Tony said no to that, no matter how warm and cozy he was.

 

He slipped out the other side of the bed and stretched, feeling pleased.

 

In the shower, with steam to cocoon them into a safe warm bubble, they soaped each other up and traded lazy kisses, unable to keep their grins off their faces.

 

They opted to stay nude when they crawled back in bed, and even though it was still fairly early they fell asleep within minutes of Tony spooning around Loki.

 

oooooo

 

The weeks passed in a blur.

 

Tony spent all of his free time, when he wasn’t kissing his boyfriend or giving his dog belly rubs, in his lab. He and Pepper tried to set up a weekly lunch date, like Loki and his brother had, but it proved to be impossible to stick to. Too often Tony would find himself completely wrapped up in something and have to text her to excuse himself.

 

They compensated by having the girls over to their apartment a few times a week.

 

Loki would cook for the group, which occasionally included Thor and Jane - and Clint - and they would wind up talking and drinking until well after midnight and have to force themselves home to sleep.

 

There were more demands from Stark Industries, but Tony still hadn’t shaken the effects of Afghanistan, and kept the company and his responsibilities there at arm's length. He knew this luxury would cease once he graduated and assumed his role, but he wanted to keep it at bay as long as possible.

 

He still attended Thor’s football games, and Loki and Natasha’s choir performances, but otherwise he distracted himself as much as he was able.

 

By the time winter break came around, the boys were spent.

 

It was a long semester, and they knew the spring term would be doubly challenging.

 

Frigga invited Tony over for Christmas, hoping that both boys would stay the night so they could spend the holiday as a family.

 

Loki’s childhood room was mostly empty now. He had moved most of his things into their apartment, and donated or sold what he no longer needed.

 

But some things remained. Like the quilt his mom gifted him as a baby, and a few of the books he couldn’t bear to part with but didn’t need to keep on hand.

 

He also left old posters and artwork on the wall, littered with a few photos of him and Thor through the years.

 

Tony was glad that he got to see it before it changed. It made him feel like he knew Loki better, that he was a part of him in this house.

 

On Christmas Eve, Thor Jane Tony and Loki grabbed drinks and gathered in the hot tub- sharing a cheers to having completed their semester. Frigga kept up with their cocktails so they wouldn’t have to leave the warmth of the tub and brave the harsh winter outside for refills.

 

She was absolutely thrilled to have them all there.

 

They had spent the day cooking, preparing for an enormous dinner, and allowed the jets from the tub to massage their swollen bellies.

 

After their skin was pruny and wrinkled, the group dressed in soft pajamas and joined Frigga for Christmas movies on the couch.

 

Loki fell asleep sagged against his boyfriend, and Thor was snoring loudly after a half hour.

 

The next morning was the first time Tony and Jane joined for presents.

 

Frigga had stockings for each of them, filled with candy and miscellaneous treats.

 

Tony had gifts for Odin and Frigga, gifts for Thor and Jane, and an abundance for Loki. He briefly debated giving them to Loki at home, so as not to overshadow the day, and then reasoned that Frigga would want to see everything and he wanted Odin to see how much Loki was loved in his relationship.

 

They spent the day feasting on leftovers and watching action films. The only time anyone got up from the couch was to refill their plate or use the restroom.

 

Odin stayed in his office, reading.

 

On New Year’s Eve they attended a frat party, eager to recreate some of the magic from the sophomore year.

 

At midnight, in the middle of the dance floor, Tony wrapped his arms around Loki and kissed him with everything he had.

 

“I love you,” he whispered after.

 

“I love  _ you _ ,” Loki answered with another kiss.

 

They went home after that and celebrated with Fenris, sitting on the couch and making resolutions they weren’t confident about sticking to.

 

When the spring semester began, Loki conceded that he was going to have to quit his job if he wanted to keep up with his schoolwork.

 

Natasha quit on the same day, having no interest in being there without Loki.

 

Everyone saw each other less as their demands grew. But they could  _ taste _ graduation.

 

Tony had already offered Pepper a job at Stark Industries. He told her in no uncertain terms that he needed her to help him manage this thing we call life once he took over the company.

 

Thor was beginning to tire of football and all the concussions it wrought, and was seriously considering teaching as an athletics coach for high schoolers. His final semester included two teaching courses so he could see if it was something he was good at.

 

Natasha wanted to become a personal trainer, and decided to take extra business courses to best learn how to commodify her talents. After she quit at the restaurant she posted ads in the campus gym seeking clients who wanted to get in shape before graduation. Her roster was immediately filled.

 

Loki was down to choosing between three grad schools, certain that he wanted a Masters in Psychology so that he could become a therapist. Depending on how well grad school went, he might go for a PhD, but that was still years away. He kept up with choir and his weekly lunches with Thor, and still ran with Natasha and Fenris at night, but was otherwise buried in schoolwork.

 

Just before bed became Tony and Loki’s favorite part of the day.

 

It was difficult to make time for dates, and dinner together often included others as they were all starved for time together, but when the sun had set and their clothes were shed, Fenris was fed and asleep on the floor next to their bed, they could kiss each other nice and slow and fuck like they had nowhere to be.

 

On Tony’s birthday, Loki demanded that they all take a break and make a weekend of it - as he had the past two years.

 

They couldn’t afford to miss class or call out, so Friday evening through Sunday was all the time they were allotted. Tony suggested Hawaii, but the flight alone would have eaten up most of the weekend.

 

They decided to go to the beach, to mitigate travel time, and instead of staying in the motel Loki knew and loved they sprung for a five-star resort right on the water.

 

Clint couldn’t make it, so it was the same group as two years ago: Tony, Loki, Natasha, Pepper, Thor, and Jane.

 

The goal was to drink and eat whatever they wanted for two and half days and simply  _ relax _ .

 

The drinking helped with that last item.

 

They spent Friday night getting spa treatments and then ate an enormous dinner together.

 

Saturday they spent entirely on the beach, tanning, body surfing,  _ drinking _ , reading, holding hands,  _ drinking more _ , dozing, building sand castles,  _ even more drinking _ , and by the time the group headed inside to shower before dinner they were nearly stumbling over themselves and giggling like fools.

 

They had a seafood feast for dinner at a Cajun restaurant that prepared the shrimp, crawfish, sausages, crab legs, potatoes, and corn in the same pot with Cajun spices and then dumped it all onto the table for a free for all.

 

Tony ordered an obscene about of extra crab legs and buttered bread, and even more to drink.

 

It was delightful to eat with their hands, simply grabbing for whatever they desired from the center of the table - their shared meal. 

 

After they were nearly stuffed, they walked over to a local ice cream stand and licked away the melting treat from their fingers as they leaned against a railing on a boardwalk overlooking the ocean.

 

That night they went out crab hunting, which consisted of searching for crabs and shining flashlights on them when they found them, and then everyone was asleep  _ hard _ by eleven.

 

Sunday was Tony’s actual birthday, and everyone was directed to entertain themselves.

 

Natasha and Pepper headed back down to the beach with Thor and Jane to resume most of what they had done the day previous.

 

Tony and Loki stayed inside wrapped in a mess of sheets turning their love making into a competition to see how many times they could make each other spill.

 

They emerged from their love cocoon for dinner, where Tony was showered with gifts and toasts were made to his honor. It was more seafood, as it seemed a waste to get anything else while they were so close to the water, but instead of the hole in the wall casual place they went to the night before this was a Michelin Star hot spot.

 

Again, Tony insisted on paying for everyone and everything, so they each felt it would be silly not to order something new and fun.

 

After dinner they grabbed towels and headed down to the sand still dressed in their nice dinner clothes, and laid out while they chatted about their plans for the summer.

 

Then it was back to the grind.

 

Tony wanted to do something equally special for Loki’s birthday, but it was so close to graduation that they were stressed beyond all reason.

 

They made half a day of it; getting everything they needed to do out of the way before noon, and then celebrating with sex and a nap for a few hours before dinner with their group.

 

It seemed like in no time at all, graduation was upon them.

 

Tony wouldn’t be transitioning into his new role at Stark industries until July, which left an entire month of no school to spend with his love.

 

Loki got into all three grad schools and had chosen one nearby that offered him the most generous scholarship. Tony offered to pay for it outright, but Loki liked that he was making it happen on his own.

 

They agreed to move back into Tony’s place, except that it was now theirs. Tony offered to buy a new house for them, one that Loki could decorate to his liking with all of his Bed Bath and Beyond coupons - and Loki pointed out that he could still do that to their current house.

 

They each took a week off after graduation. Nothing but sleeping in, sex, ordering take out, and playing with their dog.

 

Their friends would also be home through the summer, and they intended to make good use of the time.

 

In the fall, Jane was moving back to New Mexico to continue working in the same place she had two years ago.

 

Thor was going with her.

 

At first, Loki was  _ devastated _ . He and Frigga took the news with stony expressions while they tried to hold back tears.

 

They were unsuccessful.

 

But Thor had found his person. He reasoned that he could teach anywhere, and that there was no difference in the in versus out of state tuition for the certification program he was interested in. He promised to make frequent visits home, to Skype his mother and brother every week, and to spend as much time with them during the summer as he possibly could.

 

He and Loki decided to work at the restaurant again, while Natasha took a job at a gym to continue her personal training. She frequently used Thor as a guinea pig for her training regimens as Loki had no interest in becoming fit enough to manage them.

 

Clint was immediately hired at a software company in town, and though Natasha claimed she was staying because ‘this city was as good as any’, Loki knew she was pleased to be near him.

 

Pepper also had a month off, until Tony started, and offered to assist Natasha as another workout lab rat. She quickly learned that this was a mistake and Loki had the right idea in passing off the exercises to his brother.

 

On the night before Tony would officially start his new job, Loki brought home leftovers and popped open a bottle of champagne. They curled up on their favorite couch, clinked glasses, and relaxed against the cushions.

 

“Are you nervous?” Loki asked as he adjusted his feet in Tony’s lap.

 

Tony shook his head. “Yeah.”

 

Loki laughed at the contradiction. “You’ll be great.”

 

“Here’s hoping,” Tony answered as he raised his glass to the idea.

 

Fenris walked over to them and nosed at Loki’s arm for some pets.

 

“Fenris believes in you,” Loki said as he scratched his puppy’s ears.

 

Tony grinned. “I’ll be sure to lead with that at the morning meeting tomorrow.”

 

“I believe in you, too.”

 

Loki was smiling at him and Tony felt like the luckiest man in the world.

 

“Then I’m set.”

 

New challenges lay ahead of them, between work and school and friends and  _ life _ \- they knew that things were only going to get more complicated now that they were out of the cocoon of college.

 

But they would face them together.

 

“Do you remember when we met and you said ‘Loki’ was a weird name,” Loki asked.

 

“I sure do.”

 

“And then that night you asked me  _ why _ I was a psychology major.”

 

“Your answers were only somewhat satisfactory.”

 

Loki nudged him with his foot and grinned.

 

“I think Loki  _ Stark _ makes more sense,” Tony murmured into his drink.

 

Fenris’ ears perked up when his dad stopped scratching him.

 

Loki’s eyes were wide and expectant.

 

Tony blinked his eyes innocently over the rim of his glass. “Oh, I’m sorry have I said something?”

 

“Are you propo-”

 

“No, no no. I’m not proposing. Not right now, anyway,” Tony interrupted before reaching forward to refill his glass. “ _ That _ is going to be a show stopper.”

 

A lovely blush had crept onto Loki’s cheeks. “Oh, yeah?”

 

“Elephants, acrobats, fireworks - the whole nine yards.”

 

“And when can I expect this display of pageantry?” Loki teased, only half joking.

 

Tony shrugged and sipped more of his drink.

 

Loki waited for a full minute before kicking at him again and laughing when Tony gripped his ankle and grinned.

 

“Well I have to save up for it, it sounds very expensive and I recently spent all my money on dog costumes for our pooch.”

 

This was partly true.  _ Loki _ had just spent a bunch of money on outfits for Fenris.

 

“You know I don’t require all the fanfare,” Loki said.

 

Tony barked out a laugh. “You? Are you telling me you’d say yes if I proposed to you on this couch while you’re still wearing your uniform and just ate leftover hamburger sliders?”

 

“When the time comes, I will say ‘yes’.”

 

Loki was still smiling, still blushing, and had resumed his scratching.

 

Tony turned and gazed at him. “I love you,” he said after a minute of admiring his boyfriend.

 

“I love you, too.”

 

Loki didn’t know, but Tony already had the ring. Already had the dinner and hotel reservation. He had already asked Frigga and Thor for their permission. His suit was picked out, and he’d made a CD for them to listen to that night.

 

There was still time before he planned to do it. More time to tease Loki with it.

 

They put on music after that and curled up together with Fenris on one end of the couch resting his head on Loki’s leg.

 

Loki finished the bottle of champagne and fell asleep in Tony’s arms.

 

Tony stayed awake, long after the snores of his lover and his dog mixed with the melodies flowing out through the speaker.

 

When the track changed to the Goo Goo Dolls, Tony was instantly transported back to the night they attended their concert together. He’d held Loki very similarly to how he was positioned now: with arms wrapped around his waist and Loki’s back against his chest.

 

He glanced down at the slow rise and fall of his boyfriend’s tummy, and Fenris just beyond.

 

At that time he could not have guessed that they would end up here - it was everything he’d wanted and more.

 

_ And you’re the only one I ever believed in, _

_ The answer that could never be found. _

_ The moment you decided to let love in. _

_ And now I’m banging on the door of an angel, _

_ The end of fear is where we begin. _

_ The moment we decided to let love in. _

 

Tony squeezed the boy in his arms. His diva, his princess, his fine print, his partner, his best friend, his lover, his dog baby-daddy, his boyfriend, his future husband - his Loki.

 

“The Goo Goo Dolls…” Loki mumbled.

 

“What?”

 

Loki shifted and relaxed against him. “This was our first date,” he grumbled sleepily.

 

Tony smiled.

 

oooooo

 

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: When I started writing this (three days ago) I imagined that it would be the finale to this series. This would be the goodbye and I wouldn’t touch it again.
> 
> Then I had a lot of fun writing it and remembered how much I love these characters. So will there be more? Who knows, but I’m open to it. Like the proposal? The wedding? Yes please.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has stuck around and read this!


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